Cattermole will continue to show physical side

16 October 2010 10:37

DESPITE already having two red cards to his name this season, Lee Cattermole insists he won't shy away from tackles and believes the recent hype surrounding the issue has been blown out of proportion.

The midfielder has come in for some stick from fans and pundits after being sent off in the opening day draw with Birmingham and then at Wigan less than a month later.

While Cattermole admits he has since thought twice about diving in, he insists he won't change the way he plays and believes the game is being spoilt by the increasing amount of yellow and red cards.

After the first one I thought I'm not really going to change and it won't happen again, Cattermole said.

But it did and since then in the last two games I've played, I haven't really put myself in the position where I could end up in the book.

I've stayed on my feet and maybe pulled out a couple of tackles but I've spoke to the manager about that, because I felt like I was sometimes trying a bit harder to make tackles than other people.

I'm not going to stop making tackles and intercepting players and getting myself in a good position to stop the other team playing.

It's a shame really because I think some fans want to see that side of the game, but obviously the FA and people like that aren't seeing that side of the game and are more worried about the way the game looks.

A small section of fans called for Cattermole to be stripped of the club captaincy after his second red at the DW stadium but boss Steve Bruce ignored the calls and stuck by his man.

Although he has been criticised for his combative nature, the 22-year-old believes players are being unfairly hung out to dry and thinks red cards are being handed out too easily.

It's just completely changed this season I think, compared to other years I've never known anything like it, but I think we've seen a couple of really soft red cards,

the former Wigan man said.

People are thinking about it a lot more and it's getting highlighted and players are being hung out to dry.

The game has changed so much you've got to change the way you play, it's changing for the worse.

You've got to make tackles though, that's why you go on the pitch, it's part of the game and you've got to compete. It's meant to be a tough sport but it's changing.

Cattermole also believes too much has been made out of the debate surrounding tackling in the game and thinks the problem is down to the confusion over what is a foul and what isn't.

I definitely think too much has been made of it, He said.

But there has been a few bad tackles when you see Wolves but bookings are coming out so easily.

I remember the game against Arsenal and their lad (Alex Song) got sent off for two soft fouls and it spoils the game.

I know it was good for us but I felt sorry for the lad when I was sat watching the game.

I thought he should never have been sent off but I think the problem is, people don't know what is a yellow, what is a red and what is a foul.

Any manager I've worked under has never told me to go and kick a player but you have to tackle, it's part of the game but I could never imagine a manager telling his players to go out and miss the ball and take the man.